Bet on HorsesThere are still a few weeks of pre-horse racing betting on the Kentucky Derby, but as far as odds are concerned, it’s as if the race has already started.
Even though the undefeated Nyquist is still in the lead to be in the lead and win the Derby, Exaggerator is closing in as well – and that is no hyperbole, in spite of the horse’s name. A colt trained by Doug O’Neill – who on the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I'll Have Another (presumably, I Don’t Mind If I Do came in second), Nyquist just won the $1 million Florida Derby and is looking forward to becoming the second horse in history to sweep the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby – well, his handlers are; the horse is probably just looking forward to some hay, or a carrot.

As mentioned above, another horse racing betting favorite is Exaggerator, who is trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by the latter’s brother Kent. Additionally, Exaggerator is a pedigreed horse, being the son of Curlin – a two-time Horse of the Year – and recently proved the apple does not fall far from the tree by winning the Santa Anita Derby. In doing so, he got back at Mor Spirit, who had bested him previously in the San Felipe. Over a sloppy main track, Exaggerator swept to the lead in the upper stretch and drew away to win by 6 ¼ lengths, with the aforementioned Mor Spirit second, Uncle Lino third and Danzing Candy fourth. After conceding the Santa Anita, early horse racing bets odds for Mor Spirit went from +900 in to +1500. As for Dancing Candy, he went from +2200 to +1200.

Another favorite along with Nyquist and Exaggerator is Mohaymen, who had been the early horse race betting favorite for the 2016 Kentucky Derby since winning the Holy Bull in January and solidifying his by winning the Fountain of Youth in February. Notwithstanding that, his encounter with Nyquist in the Florida Derby not having gone over as well as expected, the colt faded to finish fourth, and his early betting price for the Kentucky Derby went up to +800. We might as well add Brody’s Cause to the list of favored horses, seeing as how his horse racing bets stock jumped up from +3500 after winning the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. He had previously finished 7th in the Tampa Bay Derby behind eventual winner Destin.

Of course things can change even more in the upcoming days and weeks – nothing is written in stone when it comes to horse racing betting, especially as far as the Kentucky Derby goes. And as high as the stakes are, you can be certain that these noble equines are not horsing around.